Machine for filling mattresses



(No Model.) 5 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. L. BURLEY.

MAGHINE FOR FILLING MATTRBSSES, BED QUILTS, &c. No. 254,455. v PatentedMar. 7,1882.

WITNESSES I I ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. Pnnmumo mr. wa-nin m. n. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. L. BURLEY.

ISZIA QLEHBTE FOR EILLING MA TTRESSES BE'D QUILTS, &c. No. 254,455.Patented Mar. 7,1882.

WITNESSES v: INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

N. rnsns. Fhoblilhngnphur, Wuhingbm u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

ALVIN L. BUBLEY, OF MONTVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

MACHINE FOR FILLING MATTRESSES, BED-QUILTS, 800.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,455, dated March'7, 1882,

Application filed July 30, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVIN LESTER BURLEY, of Montville, in the county ofNew London and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and ImprovedMachine for and Method of Filling Bed-Quilts, Mattresses, and otherArticles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a plan view of myimprovement. Fig. 2, Sheet 1, is a side elevation of the same, partly insection. Fig. 3, Sheet 1, represents one of the guide-bars. Fig. 4,Sheet 1, represents one of the lap-bars. Fig. 5, Sheet 1, is a sectionalend elevation of the improvement, taken through the line 00 00, Fig. 2.Fig. 6, Sheet 2, is a perspective view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to facilitate the filling of bed-quilts,mattresses, and other articles.

The invention consists in a machine for filling bed-quilts, mattresses,and other articles, constructed with a frame having a forward extensionor neck, the endless apron and its rollers and driving-gear wheels, thedriving-shaft, the lever and spring for throwing the endless apron anddriving-shaft into and out of gear with each other, the guide-barshaving heads, and thelap-bars for holding the folded or lapped edges ofthe filling in place while being introduced into the cover or casealso,in the method of filling bed-quilts, mattresses, and otherarticles; and also in the method of folding and unfolding the side edgesof the filling material, as will be hereinafter fully described.

In the drawings, A represents the frame of the machine, which is madewith a forwardlyprojecting part, arms, or neck, B. The projecting part Bshould be a little longer than the quilts and other articles to befilled, and the length of the whole machine should be two or threetimesthe length of the said quilts or other articles.

C is an endless apron, formed by attaching cross bars or cleats C to twoor more endless belts, C. The cross-cleats C have their ends bent into Ushape, as shown in Fig. 5, to receive and clamp the endless belts C, soas to connect the said cleats firmly to the said endless belts. Theendless apron 0 passes around a roller, D, pivoted to the forward end ofthe part or neck B of the frame A, and around a roller, E, pivoted tothe rear end of the frame A. A sufficient number of intermediate rollersshould be used between the rollers D E to'keep the upper part of theendless apron level, or

nearly so, and prevent the lower part from sagv tached a largegear-wheel, F, the teeth of which mesh into the teeth of a smallgearwheel, Gr, journaled to the frame A.

With the small gear-wheel G is rigidly connected a large gear-wheel, H,the teeth of which mesh into the teeth of asmall gear-wheel, I, attachedto the driving-shaft J. The drivingsha'ft J revolves in bearingsattached to the rear end of the lever K and in the frame A.

- To one of the journals of the roller E is at- The leverK is fulcrumedat its middle part to the frame A, and its forward end projects intosuch a position that it can be conveniently reached and operated by theattendant with his foot to throw the driving-shaft J into gear with theendless apron C. The driving-shaft J is thrown out of gear with theendless apron C, when the lever K is released, by a spring, L, connectedwith the rear end of the lever K and with the frame A. The end of thedrivingshaft J that revolves in the frame A, projects, and to it isattached a pulley, M, to receive the d rivin g-bel-t.

The forward part or neck, B, of the frame is made narrower than thequilt or other article to be filled, so that the cover or case B of. thesaid quilt or article can be readily drawn upon the said neck or arms B.The rear part, A, of the frame is made wider, or has wings N formed uponor attached to it, as shown in Fig. 1, to receive the side edges ofthebatting orfilling S. I In using the machine the sides and one end of thecover or case B to be filled are sewed up, and the said cover is turnedand drawn upon the neck B. The batting or other filling, S, is arrangedupon the rear part of the endless apron C with its side edges restingupon the wings N. The guides O are then laid upon the batting or fillingS at the inner edges of the frame A, and the edges of the said battingor filling S are turned or folded inward over the said guides O. ThebarsP are then laid upon the folds orlaps of the batting or filling S tohold the said laps down while the said batting or fillin gis beingintroduced into the cover or case to be filled. The guide-bars O aremade with heads Q upon their rear ends, of such a shape that thecross-cleats of the endless apron C will engage with. the said heads andcarry the said bars forward with the said endless apron in its movement.When the filling S, the guide-bars O, and the lap bars-P have beenarranged the machine is thrown into gear, and the filling, guide-bars,and lap-bars are carried forward into the cover R, drawn upon the neckor arms B, the forward ends of the guide-bars 0 coming in contact withthe closed end of the cover, and pushing the said cover as it is filledoff the neck 13. An apron or table should be placed infront of themachine to receive the cover as it is filled and pushed off the machine.When the cover R is filled the lap-bars P are drawn out, and theguide-bars O are used to turn the folds of the filling outward into theside parts of the cover, leaving the filling even and smooth.

If desired, the rear part of the frame A can be provided with shafts tocarry rolls of batting, so that the said batting will be spread over theendless apron O automatically as the said endless apron 0 moves forward,the batting being parted or separated as each cover is filled.

The machine may also be provided with a stop or time mechanism to stopthe said machine automatically as each cover is filled.

Having thus described my invention, Iclaim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A machine for filling bed-quilts, mattresses, andother articles, containing the following elements, viz: a pair ofprojecting arms on which the bag or case that is to receive the fillingis held, and an endless belt suitably mounted upon the said arms andadjacent frame, said belt being adapted to carry the tilling materialinto and deposit the same within the bag or case, when the latter-isplaced upon the said arms, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. In a machine for filling bed-quilts, inattresses, and other articles,the combination, with the frame A, having a ibrwardly-projecting part orarms, 13, of the endless apron O, the rollers D E, the gear-wheelsF G HI, and the drive-shaft J, substantially as herein shown and described,whereby the filling will be carried forward into the cover or case, asset forth.

3. In a machine for filling bed-quilts, mattresses, and other articles,the combination, with the frame A B, the endless apron O and itsdriving-gearing, and the drive shaft J, of

the lever K and spring L, substantially as herein shown and described,whereby the said driveshaft and endless apron can be thrown into and outof gear with each other, as set forth.

4. In a machine for filiing bed-quilts, mattresses, and other articles,the combination, with the endless apron G, of the guide-bars 0, havingheads Q, and the lap bars 1?, substantially as herein shown anddescribed, whereby the folded or lapped edges of the filling can be keptin place while the said filling is being introduced into the cover orcase, as set forth.

5. In a machine for filling bed-quilts, mattresses, and other articles,the endless belt or apron G, constructed substantially as herein shownand described, consisting of two or more belts, C, and the cross slatsor cleats G the said cleats having their ends bent into U form toreceive and clamp the side belts, C, as set forth.

6. In a machine for filling bed-quilts, mattresses, and other articles,the cross-cleats G made substantially as herein shown and described,with their ends bent into U form to receive and clamp the endless beltsthat carry the said cleats, as set forth.

7. The method herein described of filling bed-quilts, mattresses,-andother articles,wl1ich consists in drawing the casing over the arms of aframe that carries an endless belt, then depositing the filling materialupon the belt and giving motion thereto, so as to begin the deposit ofthe filling material in the bottom of the casing and pushing ofi fromthe arms the casing as fast as it is filled, substantially as herein setforth.

8. The method herein described of folding over the edges of the fillingmaterial to allow it to bereadily passed into the case, which consistsin laying the guide-bars 0 upon the filling at the edges of the endlessapron 0, turning the edges of the filling material over the saidguide-bars O, and laying the lap-bars P upon the lapped or folded edgesof the said filling material, substantially as herein set forth.

9. The method herein described of unfolding and smoothing out the foldededges of the filling material after the said material has beenintroduced into the case, which consistsin withdrawingthe lap bars P andturning the folds of thefilling materialoutward to fill out the edges ofthe case by moving the guide-bars laterally, substantially as set forth.

ALVIN L. BURLEY.

